New Year Five Faiths

Following is a sampling of religious holidays in five major faiths for 2001. Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the preceding day; Islamic dates may vary slightly, depending on location and astronomical conditions. Hindu and Buddhist dates may also vary among different sects and locales.

Christianity

The Western Christian calendar is based on the Gregorian calendar widely adopted in the 16th century. Most civil calendars follow this system. It begins in the year 1 with the birth of Christ, although most scholars agree Jesus was probably born several years earlier. Many days are fixed, such as Christmas. Others, such as Easter, are determined by phases of the moon and move from year to year. Eastern Orthodox churches vary somewhat from the Western church calendar.

*--*

DATE HOLIDAY WHAT IT MARKS Jan. 6 Epiphany End of 12 days of Christmas Feb. 28 Beginning of Lent Preparation for Easter Feb. 26 (Orthodox) April 13 Good Friday The day of Jesus’ crucifixion April 15 Easter Resurrection of Jesus Dec. 2 First Sunday in Advent Beginning of preparation for Christmas Dec. 25 Christmas Birth of Jesus

*--*

Judaism

The Jewish calendar is “lunisolar,” which means it is regulated by both the moon and the sun. Jewish dates will vary from year to year from the Gregorian calendar. The Jewish year of 5762 will begin at sunset Sept. 17. Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the preceding day.

*--*

DATE HOLIDAY WHAT IT MARKS March 9 Purim Deliverance of Jews in ancient Persia April 8-15 Passover Exodus of Jews from Egypt May 28-29 Shavuot Giving of Torah and Commandments Sept. 18-19 Rosh Hashana Beginning of the new year Sept. 27 Yom Kippur Day of Atonement; prayer and fasting Oct. 2-9 Sukkot Dwelling of Israelites in the wilderness Oct. 10 Simchat Torah Torah reading cycle ends, begins again Dec. 10-17 Hanukkah Rededication of temple at Jerusalem

*--*

Islam

The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar year, which, at 354 days, is shorter than the solar year. Because of this, dates will vary from year to year on the Gregorian calendar. Some holidays are based on the sighting of the crescent moon, resulting in slight variations among different locales. The Islamic year of 1422 will begin March 26.

*--*

DATE HOLIDAY WHAT IT MARKS March 6 Eid al-Adha End of the pilgrimage to Mecca March 26 Al-Hijra New Year’s Day June 4 Ma’uled al-Nabi Prophet Muhammad’s birthday Nov. 17 Ramadan (1422) First revelations to Muhammad Dec. 12 Laylat al-Qadr Revelation of Koran to Muhammad; a special night in the month of Ramadan Dec. 16 Eid al-Fitr (1422) Festival of breaking the fast of Ramadan

*--*

Hinduism

Hindu festivals may differ among devotees and locales. The spring festival of Holi begins the preceding evening with bonfires to signify the waning days of winter and the triumph of good over evil. On the day of celebration, people go through the streets smearing bright colors on friends.

*--*

DATE HOLIDAY WHAT IT MARKS Jan. 15 Swami Vivekananda Birthday of Swami Vivekananda Feb. 21 Shiva Ratri All-night fasting and worship of the deity Shiva March 9 Holi Spring festival of bonfires, colors April 2 Rama Navami Birth of Rama Aug. 22 Ganesh Chaturthi Worship of Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, as the god of wisdom Nov. 14 Diwali New Year’s Day

*--*

Buddhism

As with Hinduism, the many branches of Buddhism, from Tibetan to Japanese to Chinese, may celebrate many different holidays. The lunar calendar also affects dates of events. Some holidays are noted across the spectrum, including the birth of the founder, Gautama Siddhartha.

*--*

DATE HOLIDAY WHAT IT MARKS March 9 Nirvana Day Death of Buddha May 7 Wesak Birth of Buddha Dec. 8 Bodhi Day Enlightenment of Buddha

*--*

*

Sources: Times files; Islamic Center of Southern California; Chase’s 2001 Calendar of Events; Los Angeles Buddhist Union; Islamic Calendar for North America; Trinity College

*

Researched by JASON SONG/Los Angeles Times